Crown Square, Old North St. Louis

Located one mile from the Gateway Arch, Crown Square was completed in 2010 following a $35 million redevelopment project. Previously known as the "14th Street Pedestrian Mall," the revitalized shopping district was re-opened to vehicle traffic for the first time since 1977. Once part of a thriving commercial area during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, residents relied on the many small businesses along 14th Street. The neighborhood prospered through the end of the 1960s, when urban residents began leaving for the suburbs. In 1974, city officials decided to close two blocks of N. 14th Street to vehicles, in order to create a more pedestrian-friendly shopping area. However, the plan failed, and most of the shops eventually closed. Only a handful of businesses survived, with two remaining pillars in the community to the present day: Crown Candy Kitchen and Marx Hardware & Paint Co. With the successful redevelopment of N. 14th Street as the neighborhood's new "Crown Square," many historic buildings were rehabilitated through adaptive reuse to provide updated commercial and retail space, affordable housing units, and a community gathering place at the heart of Old North, with the neighborhood on track for future growth and continued revitalization.

In 2010, Crown Square was revitalized through a $35 million redevelopment project from RISE, a non-profit community development organization, in conjunction with the City of St. Louis, The Old North Restoration Group, and the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance. The project focused on the N. 14th Street shopping district, in addition to the surrounding neighborhood of Old North St. Louis. The commercial area was previously the site of the "14th Street Pedestrian Mall.” In 1974, the City closed two commercial blocks to vehicles in an unsuccessful attempt to increase foot traffic. The plan was largely a response to the mass migration of urban residents to the suburbs, but it backfired, as several shops ended up going out of business, leading to a number of vacant storefronts. In the years that followed, only a handful of buildings remained occupied, including a hair salon and storefront church. The shopping district had become derelict, with the surrounding neighborhood of Old North in a continued state of decline.

Yet, a small group of residents, business owners, and civic leaders refused to give up on the neighborhood, despite the fact that the once-bustling area had virtually turned into a ghost town. In 1981, the non-profit Old North St. Louis Restoration Group was formed with the goal of raising funds to revitalize the area. This included the preservation of existing buildings, many of which were built in the nineteenth century, as the Old North neighborhood was established in 1816 and annexed by the City of St. Louis in 1841. In the early 2000s, the community planning process moved to begin redeveloping the old 14th Street Pedestrian Mall as a new and improved heart of Old North. Remarkably, two of the original businesses on N. 14th Street had managed to survive the decades of economic downturn: Crown Candy Kitchen, a soda shop and lunch counter, and Marx Hardware & Paint Co., one of the oldest businesses in Old North St. Louis (and one of the oldest family-owned hardware stores anywhere in the U.S.).

For over a century, these two businesses on N. 14th Street have remained in continuous operation, serving as anchors in the community. More recently, they have been able to enjoy a wave of urban renewal in Old North St. Louis, although this process was temporarily halted during the 2008 economic recession. Despite hurdles, the Crown Square redevelopment project was a success, with the architecture and planning firm Rosemann & Associates overseeing the adaptive reuse of multiple buildings. Completed in 2010, the project resulted in a vibrant mixed-use area on N. 14th Street, with provisions for affordable apartment housing, an adjacent pocket park, and plans for continued community engagement. According to RISE, the project created 80 new units of mixed-income rental housing, along with updating several blocks of retail and commercial space in what was essentially "an abandoned neighborhood commercial district." The Old North St. Louis Restoration Group is active in promoting Crown Square not only as an economic hub, but also as a gathering place for community events and activities.

In 2010, the Crown Square project received awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Landmarks Alliance of St. Louis, in addition to receiving the HUD Secretary's Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), this award recognizes projects that include "affordable housing, community revitalization, and/or enhanced opportunities for low and moderate-income families." To be eligible, recipients must be receiving HUD funds as part of a broader plan for neighborhood historic preservation. With a total of 27 historic buildings on or adjacent to N. 14th Street fully rehabilitated by the E.M. Harris Construction Company, Crown Square is a model for successful preservation and sustainable urban development.

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